The nation's front yard, frayed, rutted, and overwhelmed by millions of feet and years of neglect, is going to be given a much-needed makeover if the Interior Department can figure out how to raise at least $650 million, and likely quite a bit more.

Memorial Day will see thousands of people converging on the National Mall. Many will visit the Vietnam Veterans Memorial and its iconic deep-vee black marble wall bearing the names of more than 58,000 American casualties.

NPS areas in and around the nation's capital will host or assist in special activities during the upcoming Memorial Day weekend, including an unusual concert and opportunity to view the city from a unique location.

In honor of Veterans Day, U.S. military veterans, members of the U.S. armed forces and their families will be admitted without charge on November 11th to public recreation lands managed by the National Park Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Reclamation and U.S. Forest Service.

Earlier this month, on September 7th, someone walked along the Vietnam Veterans Memorial with some type of oil, squirting it secretly on the Wall as they walked by. The unknown oil has done real damage to the polished granite surface.